


It's Raining Somewhere Else

by AmericanEireann



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drunk Sans, Housecleaning, Hurt/Comfort, I honestly have no idea I'll tag it as I go along, Multi, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Sans Has Issues, Slow Burn, papyrus is a precious cinnamon roll, reader identifies as female
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-09 11:21:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 18,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7799842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmericanEireann/pseuds/AmericanEireann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You're a recent college graduate trying to make ends meet by cleaning people's houses. Your new skeletal neighbors down the street are your first customers. One's clearly overjoyed to have made a new human friend, but the other...?</p><p>Well, you're not sure about him yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The house had stood empty as long as you could remember.

Two stories and wooden, with such a dilapidated air that you were amazed each breath of wind didn’t collapse it upon itself, the ancient house had become the natural focus of the town’s ghost stories. And even though you didn’t _believe_ in ghosts, well – logic didn’t always shield you from the shivers that raced down your spine when you looked its way. And if a ghost _did_ need a place to stay, it’d probably choose the creepy manor over the dozen squat brick-and-mortar homes that made up the rest of the neighborhood, right?

So when the underground had opened up and thousands of monsters began to distribute themselves among humankind, it almost seemed right that the house was occupied for the first time in fifty years.

By _skeletons_.

At first, you weren’t sure if this made the house more or less creepy to think about. Now when the ancient timbers creaked and groaned under its own weight, your mind didn’t wander to the possibility of ghosts, but the stone-cold certainty of _living goddamn skeletons_ within its walls.

When did life get this weird?

Time passed and the town became accustomed to the new state of affairs. The old ghost stories about the house ceased to be told, but an entirely new set of rumors sprang up, whispered with discomfiture and unease.

For only one of the two newcomers made himself known.

Still, you thought, don’t be afraid. After all, how much could their presence possibly affect you?

 

~~~

 

One of the major downsides of living in such a small town, you reflected with annoyance, was the lack of interesting jobs. Sure, you’d gotten a college degree, but you didn’t seem to be able to _do_ much with it. Honestly, it seemed more like the degree hampered rather than helped your ability to find something. At the moment, you wrote articles that were occasionally picked up by newspapers and magazines, but the pay was inconsistent and you weren’t making ends meet, despite still living with your mom.

You were bemoaning this sad state of affairs to her for, admittedly, not the first time, when she finally snapped.

“Okay! Okay! I’ve had enough of this! You do nothing but complain about any of my _suggestions_ , so here is what you are going to do!” She paused for a moment, daring for you to object. As your death wish appeared to have been misplaced for the moment, you mutely gestured for her to continue, your eyes wide.

“Wait!” she ordered, and disappeared from the room. You hardly had time to wonder what was going on before she reappeared with a metric ton of… cleaning supplies?

“You,” she proclaimed, “have always been talented at cleaning and organization.”

She had a point. Your bedroom has always been magazine-catalog-worthy in its immaculateness. You nodded in appreciation of the compliment.

“So here’s what you’re going to do. You are now your own one-woman cleaning service. Go find clients, have them pay you per hour. Maybe it’ll even get you out of the house more than once a week!” Her eyes glittered dangerously. “Any… _arguments?_ "


	2. Chapter 2

So that’s how you found yourself with a stack of neon-green flyers the next day, each one proudly enumerating the various services you were willing to provide. All for love of a mother, you groused to yourself. Well. Love and just the _tiniest_ bit of fear.

Were you just supposed to start handing these out door-to-door like a Girl Scout selling cookies? You were filled with determination, yes, but also a healthy dose of skepticism. Who was going to take you up on this, exactly?

Three hours and twenty houses later, the answer was looking pitifully close to “not many.” You’d canvassed almost your entire street, and so far the only person to look remotely excited was the elderly woman four doors down with a Chihuahua and an apparent phobia of dusting.

You stopped short in front of the last house, which loomed, silent and foreboding, over the street. A thrill of nerves ran down your spine. You’d heard the murmurs around town about its new residents. You knew that, on average, the people of Westford were… skittish… of new things, so you tried to take the rumors with a grain of salt. But, you considered, as your heart thumped painfully within your chest, you could hardly blame people for being unnerved at the thought of animate skeletons.

Or you could, you thought with a wild little laugh, but it’d be ever so _slightly_ hypocritical of you.

But you were damned if a little thing like nervousness was going to stop you potentially making a living. After all, the place was enormous – and ancient! They probably needed loads of help keeping it clean. You bit your lip, steeled yourself, and approached the house, your feet causing each step on the porch to creak loudly.

It’d been years since the last time you were this close. The last time, your eight-year-old self had been dared by your friends to knock on the door. You could clearly remember how you’d quickly tapped it with your fist, the three of you flying back up the road as fast as your legs could carry you, shrieking and laughing with exhilaration. You could’ve sworn that back then, the doorknocker had been utterly plain, if rusted over. Nothing to take note of.

Now it was a grinning skull.

You suddenly felt eight years old again, prepared to dash away at the slightest sign of movement. You forced yourself to squash the instinct.

“Nothing to be afraid of, _________. Just knock on the damn door,” you whispered to yourself. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you raised your hand to the knocker and swung it three times.

A silence.

“I’LL GET IT!” a voice announced.

The door swung open so quickly you nearly fell on your butt in surprise. You attempted to take a moment to absorb the sight standing in front of you, but all you got was a confused impression of great height, white bones, and a red cape as you stumbled backwards before a hand clapped forcefully onto your shoulder, preventing you from falling. 

“HELLO HUMAN! WHAT CAN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DO FOR YOU TODAY?”

You blinked at the skeleton, who was apparently completely unconcerned by your current inability to form a sentence – quite the opposite. He seemed to be absolutely beside himself with delight. “THIS IS WONDERFUL! WE SO RARELY GET VISITORS, AND NEVER YET FROM HUMANS! DO YOU LIKE PASTA?”

You were suddenly aware that your mouth was hanging open and hastened to shut it. “Um,” you managed intelligently.

“COME IN, HUMAN!” Papyrus (that _was_ what he said, right? Like the Egyptian paper?) insisted, and you followed him into the house out of sheer bewilderment.

As you walked in, you realized your earlier theory had been correct – this house needed cleaning help. A _lot_ of cleaning help. You passed a gloomy staircase on your left, and a cluttered, dusty living room on your right as you followed Papyrus to the kitchen (why were there post-it notes everywhere?). You were filled with hope that you might have found someone who genuinely needed your services.

The kitchen, however, was a completely different story: it was brightly lit and immaculate, save for a rogue spray of tomato sauce on the stove. Pictures hung everywhere, some including Papyrus, but the other subjects were a mystery to you – another skeleton, a yellow lizard woman, a fish woman with an eye-patch, a robot…?

“AH YES, YOU HAVE DISCOVERED THE WALL OF FRIENDSHIP!” boomed Papyrus. “INCIDENTALLY, HUMAN, WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” He stirred the pan of spaghetti sauce with so much energy that you were amazed any remained in the pan at all. You startled out of your reverie and realized that for the second time in five minutes, you were staring.

You attempted to come back to yourself and remember why you were there. “Oh – ah – I’m ________, I live just down the road,” you said, and pointed in the general direction of your house. “I actually just started, um, cleaning people’s houses…” You slipped a flyer into Papyrus’s hands. “Do… do you need any help around here?”

“HUMAN! WHAT A KIND THING TO OFFER! YOU KNOW, MY BROTHER _IS_ A BIT OF A SLOB!” He ended this thought in what you thought he imagined to be a conspiratorial whisper. “VERY WELL, HUMAN ________, I ACCEPT!”

You beamed at him, deciding you liked Papyrus immediately. “Thank you, Papyrus,” you said with genuine warmth. “When do you want me to start?” There was a sudden flash of blue light from just beyond the doorway, gone before you were sure it was there. You rubbed at your eyes. A trick of the light, you thought.

“HOW ABOUT TOMORROW?” Papyrus asked, oblivious to this.

“Tomorrow works great,” you said happily, organizing your flyers and standing to leave.

“HUMAN _________, YOU CANNOT LEAVE YET! YOU HAVE NOT YET HAD SPAGHETTI!” Papyrus sounded distressed. You glanced over to the stove, where the tomato carnage was almost an alarmingly bright red against the white metal. 

“Oh – I’m sorry, but I promised my mom I’d have dinner with her tonight,” you lied a bit guiltily. Papyrus seemed to brighten back up.

“OF COURSE! ONE MUST NEVER BREAK A PROMISE, ESPECIALLY TO ONE’S MOTHER!” he declared. You couldn’t help but smile at the proclamation. 

“Exactly,” you answered. “I’ll see you tomorrow! Have a good evening!”

“GOOD NIGHT, HUMAN ________!”

You turned and glanced up the darkened staircase as you left the house, trying not to shiver. Because you _knew_ this time, the flash of blue light had not been your imagination.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, you organized the cleaning supplies into a shiny wooden wagon, decorating it with bright yellow flowers because who doesn’t like bright yellow flowers? You then headed downstairs, lost in thought about your plans for the day.

Your mom, predictably, was already in the kitchen, and you could tell before she opened her mouth that she was about to continue the argument you’d had last night. “Are you really – ”

“ _Yes_ , Mom, I’m really going to go over to the skeletons’ house. It’s fine, I swear! They seemed really happy to have me.” Well, one of them did. “Tried to feed me spaghetti and everything. Completely harmless.” You hoped, anyway.

Her gaze turned from forbidding to a bit exasperated. “When I told you to canvas the neighborhood, I wasn’t expecting you to go _there_ ,” she said. She was trying to be stern, you could tell, but her voice was fond.

“I know, Mom, but it’ll be fine! You should see how much there is for me to help them with. And if they do anything, I’ll, uh, poke them with my mop.” You mimed your battle technique vigorously, nearly knocking the centerpiece off the kitchen table in the process.

“Yes,” she said dryly. “Fearsome as a newborn kitten. Look, just be safe, please? Keep your phone on.”

“Yes ma’am,” you said, stuffing a piece of toast into your mouth. The taste of victory. “See you later!”

 

It was now 9 a.m. That wasn’t too early to go over, was it? You wished you had thought to set up a specific time with Papyrus. You had no idea what the sleeping patterns of skeletons might be like. The thought of the glowing blue light from the night before niggled at you, but you found it hard to be afraid in the bright morning sunshine. You took a deep breath and pushed your free hand through your hair, the other dragging your cheerful cleaning-supply wagon behind you as you made your way up the street.

As you got closer, you saw Papyrus out in the front yard, gardening. He was deep in concentration, but lifted his head as you approached, his permanent grin widening happily. You couldn’t help but to smile back. “Morning, Papyrus, whatcha planting?” you asked.

“LOTS OF THINGS!” Papyrus looked gleefully at the riot of colors growing before him. You stopped to admire the patterns in the flowerbed: a swirl of purple here, a burst of red there, concentric circles of blue and orange… You didn’t know the first thing about flowers, but the overall effect was pleasing, if a tad cacophonous. “YOU MUST ENJOY FLOWERS TOO! YOU DECORATED YOUR WAGON WITH THEM!” he noted. 

“I do! Your garden is beautiful – you have a great eye for color,” you said honestly. Papyrus’s cheeks flushed orange with pleasure at the compliment.

“THANK YOU, HUMAN _______! I DO INDEED HAVE THE LOVELIEST GARDEN IN ALL THE LAND!" 

You grinned at him, finding his confidence infectious. “So – should I go on in and get started? I was thinking I could start with the living room and work from there.”

Papyrus’s smile faltered slightly. “WELL, UM. YOU SEE, HUMAN. WE HAVE A SLIGHT PROBLEM.”

Oh no. “What’s that?”

“MY BROTHER SANS. HE’S STILL SLEEPING AT THE MOMENT –“

“Oh, is that all? I can be quiet, I won’t make too much noise,” you said reassuringly.

“OH – WELL – NO, THAT’S NOT THE PROBLEM… EXACTLY…” Papyrus trailed off, looking apprehensive. Suddenly his entire demeanor shifted, and his eyebrow ridges drew together in an expression of determination. “NO, HE’S JUST GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT! YOU SEEM LOVELY AND I’M TIRED OF LIVING IN SUCH A FILTHY HOUSE! PLEASE GO IN AND GET STARTED!”

Well, _that_ wasn’t particularly reassuring. You stared at Papyrus, your eyebrows so high they nearly met your hairline. “Are… are you sure? If Sans doesn’t want me to help… Should I go talk to him, do you think? I don’t want to cause any problems,” you said nervously. Making an enemy of a magic user didn’t seem like a great way to conduct a business. Or your life, for that matter.

“SANS IS JUST BEING A BABYBONES!” Papyrus declared, as if that settled it. “PERHAPS, AH… PERHAPS YOU _SHOULD_ TRY AND BE QUIET AS YOU WORK, THOUGH.” Seeing the look on your face, he added brightly, “DON’T WORRY! HE NORMALLY SLEEPS WELL INTO THE AFTERNOON!”

“Papyrus, why doesn’t he want me to –“ 

“HE DOES WANT YOU IN THE HOUSE, HE JUST DOESN’T KNOW IT YET! PLEASE, GO ON IN. I’LL BE OUT HERE IF YOU NEED ANYTHING!”

…Right.

Without being entirely sure why you were still doing this, you lifted your wagon and carried it up the steps. You cast a quick final glance at Papyrus, who had already turned back to his gardening, before slowly opening the door to the house.

What was the worst that could happen?


	4. Chapter 4

You peered around the door into the dimly lit hallway, feeling very ill at ease. You couldn’t shake the feeling that Papyrus was sending you into the lions’ den. Any moment now, there was going to be a flash of blue light and nothing but a pile of human ash on the ground to remember you by.

Well, it could hardly make this place any dustier, you thought with grim humor.

Tamping down on your nerves, you crept into the living room, trying to think of the work you had to do instead of the twist of fear in your guts. The room had clearly not been used at all: some of the furniture was still draped in graying sheets, and the shelves in the corner were caked in a thick layer of dust that spoke to the many years the house had stood abandoned. Somewhere, an unseen clock was ticking. It was the only sound you could hear.

Tying your hair back in a ponytail, you took a deep breath and set to work. Bit by bit, you managed to get the dust situation under control. The room would actually be quite lovely when you were through with it, you thought; the furniture was antique but in good condition, the fireplace was large and etched with art nouveau patterns, and you could tell that the rug, though caked in grime, bore a richly colorful spiral design. You stopped to chew on your lip: how were you going to run a vacuum cleaner without breaking the silence?

That was a problem for later, you decided. It’d be best to clean the hardwood underneath it first, anyway. You managed to move the two wingback chairs without too much trouble, but the sofa –

“you often break into people’s houses to clean?”

You barely managed to avoid shrieking with alarm, emitting a rather pathetic-sounding squeak instead. The skeleton on the couch was grinning at you, but it somehow didn’t seem friendly. His sharp canines gleamed in the low light. You took an involuntary step backwards as he stared at you. You stared back, noting the twin pinpricks of light, set deep within his skull, which followed your every movement.

He was dressed like a particularly lazy college student, some dispassionate corner of your brain decided. A hoodie and some basketball shorts. You’d met stoners who put more effort into their appearance.

“You must be Sans.” You hoped your voice didn’t sound as pitiful as the squeak you’d made a moment ago.

“must be. and you are…?” Sans leaned back idly, one arm stretched along the back of the sofa and a foot propped on the coffee table. Okay, a hoodie, some basketball shorts, and _pink fuzzy slippers_ , because why the hell not, the dispassionate voice in your head said with a note of incredulity.

“________.” Oh, you were not a fan of how this guy was looking at you. You felt like you were being sized up for a meal.

“if i didn’t know better… _________... i’d say you were trespassing,” Sans said casually. One of his eyes began to glow blue while the other pupil disappeared entirely. You felt a hum in the air like a gathering storm. The hair on your arms stood up as though with static electricity.

You fought down the bizarre urge to laugh. “Lucky for me, you _do_ know better, because I know for a fact your brother told you about me,” you said, too loudly. The hum of magic was becoming a deafening buzz in your ears, like a cloud of angry hornets, too loud to hear your own voice. 

This is how you die, the dispassionate voice in your mind remarked. Struck down by a skeleton in fuzzy slippers because you’re cleaning his house. 

The thought was too much, and this time you did laugh, hysteria bubbling out of you like a fountain. You couldn’t stop laughing even if you tried. You became aware of the buzzing of magic gradually lessening around you, and your laughter dwindled away too. You straightened slowly to see the look on Sans’ face – no longer predatory or threatening, but perplexed and a little… pleased? You weren’t sure, and the look was gone in another moment.

“you’re right, he did mention you,” Sans said easily, as though nothing had happened. You noticed that the pinpricks of light had returned to his eye sockets. He hopped up from his seat and headed up the staircase. “do yourself a favor, though, kid?”

You raised an eyebrow questioningly. He grinned at you, baring his sharp canines once more. 

“stay out of my room.”

Somehow, it didn’t sound like a request.


	5. Chapter 5

You woke up the next morning and stared up at the ceiling. You shoved a pillow against your face, groaning into it. Yesterday had not gone well. After the encounter with Sans, you’d had to tell Papyrus that you didn’t think you could do any more that day, inventing a problem with their vacuum cleaner and telling him that you’d be back the next day with your own.

You didn’t tell him what had happened with Sans. You weren’t sure why you didn’t – obviously, Papyrus would be able to handle any issues with his brother better than you, a human he inexplicably had a problem with, could. Maybe you just wanted to fight your own battles.

You sighed. Confrontation was not your style. You very rarely got into fights with anyone at all, your mother notwithstanding…

Speaking of your mother, now _there_ was a person who was not going to find out what happened yesterday. She’d never let you go back there if she caught wind of anyone, much less a monster she’d never met, threatening you.

Why _had_ Sans reacted that way to you, anyway? If you were going to be logical about it, you would have told Papyrus that you weren’t going to be able to help them out after all, taken your wagon home and that would’ve been the end of it. You weren’t a risk taker by anybody’s definition, and if you were honest with yourself, he had genuinely scared you.

And yet… you _wanted_ him to like you.

“Damn people pleaser,” you grumbled to yourself.

 

~~~

 

Papyrus had told you when you left the day before that he’d be at work most of the day today, and to let yourself in. You hesitated at the threshold, however, unsure if you should knock. Would it be worse to wake a potentially-sleeping skeleton, or to enter uninvited? Neither possibility appealed to you, and your stomach flipped nervously.

Well, he’d made such a big deal of the notion of you trespassing yesterday… You decided it’d be better to knock. Your hand fell on the skull-shaped door-knocker once again and you shuddered, rapping quickly.

After a moment, you heard the rhythmic sounds of feet descending the staircase, and the door opened to reveal Sans, who leaned against the doorframe casually. “well, look who it is,” he said.

“Yep. Me again. You gonna chase me out the door with that blue eye of yours? Because it’s been so fun dealing with you so far,” you said coolly.

“i didn’t – “

“Didn’t what? Didn’t chase me? No, just tried to intimidate the hell out of me, is all. What actually is your problem with me, anyway?” You weren’t sure where this was coming from. You hadn’t set out to berate him today, but now that you’d gotten going, you were finding it difficult to stop. You forced yourself to take a deep breath.

Sans, for his part, seemed a bit ashamed. “sorry,” he muttered abashedly, a blue stain creeping up his cheekbones. He didn’t meet your eyes. “it was rude of me.”

You stared at him. You hadn’t expected him to actually take your words to heart. You shook your head. “It’s, uh… it’s okay. Must have been weird, waking up with a stranger in your house, right?” You offered him a small smile.

“right. no excuse really, though. plus, you know,” he added, a mischievous look on his face, “it was starting to get a bit _bonely_ in the house with just me and paps.”

You groaned at the pun. “That was terrible, Sans.”

“and here i was hoping you’d be more _punderstanding_ ,” he replied, the lights in his eyes brightening with good humor.

“And yet all I feel is _punderwhelmed_ ,” you deadpanned. No way were you going to get out-punned by this guy.

Sans looked surprised and delighted. “nice one,” he offered.

“Thanks,” you said. “As long as you’re not planning on killing me right this second, can I ask you something?”

“shoot, kid.”

“Why is your door-knocker a skull? That’d be like me having a human face on my front door.”

Sans laughed. “it was a present from my friend undyne. she’s a fish monster whose house in the underground is shaped like a fish. she’s, uh, not the most subtle person.”

“Now, who does that remind me of?” you said, smiling more genuinely. “I bet she and Papyrus get along great.”

“oh, believe me, they do. she’s the one who got paps started on his spaghetti kick…” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his skull with one hand. “i should probably let you get to work now, huh?”

“Oh! Yeah, guess so.” You grabbed your vacuum cleaner and dragged it in the door behind you.

Sans gave you a quizzical look. “you know we have one of those, right?”

“I know, but – well, I told your brother yours was broken yesterday, as an excuse to leave early after you – “ You gestured vaguely at the air. ‘After you flipped out on me,’ you wanted to say, but it seemed unkind to mention it after he’d already apologized.

Sans nodded, looking slightly guilty. You were starting to wonder how exactly a skull could be so expressive – did it feel like clay, or like ordinary bone? You resisted the urge to tap him on the head to find out.

You cleared your throat. “Anyway, I’ll be getting to work now… I’ll be in the living room if you _nee –!_ ” Your voice cut off in a squeak of alarm, because you immediately tripped over the vacuum’s power cord and fell into Sans. He somehow managed to stay upright, which was more than you could say for yourself. 

“ _wash_ your step,” he said, grin back on his face. “did i _sweep_ you off your feet?”

You struggled back upright, your face glowing crimson and your retort lost in your embarrassment. Oh, you were gonna kill him, if he didn’t manage to kill you first. 


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next couple of weeks, you settled into a routine. You worked on the house every other day. Soon enough, the downstairs was full habitable, and you moved your supplies upstairs, slowly progressing from the corridor to the bathroom to the spare bedroom. You decided it was best to obey Sans’ injunction to leave his room alone, though that didn’t prevent you from gingerly trying the door handle from time to time: it was, without fail, locked.

You found that you began to look forward to your days with Sans and Papyrus as a treat, a break from the unrelenting reality of the other half of your life, despite the fact that the work was physically more difficult than writing articles. Papyrus was in and out of the house – you discovered that he worked as a gardener for the city – but Sans was there all the time.

Literally, all the time.

You thought back to the rumors you’d heard before meeting the skeletons, how only one of them was known to the town’s residents, and realized you still had no idea why that was. Papyrus, of course, was gregarious and genial to a fault, and was near-universally loved for his good nature and skills with plants. But you were the only human who knew Sans at all, and frankly, the aura of mystery didn’t seem to be doing him any favors.

You were torn between trying to find out more and leaving well enough alone. You had no desire to ruin the peace between you and Sans by prying into his personal life. And so you tried to tamp down on your curiosity.

You tried _really_ hard.

 

~~~

 

Of course, just because you’d managed to escape the offer of Papyrus’s spaghetti on that first evening didn’t mean you could escape forever. He was _relentless_ about the spaghetti – so much so that it was barely a week into your friendship that he pinned you into staying for dinner. There was only so long you could deny his enthusiasm before you risked seriously injuring his feelings by refusing.

You weren’t sure why you felt so certain it was to be avoided, anyway. After all, you’d never actually tasted it. Maybe Papyrus made delicious spaghetti. (Maybe the moon was made of cheese, you thought unkindly. Maybe Sans will swear off puns forever, or decide that he shouldn’t wear that hoodie every day of his life.)

 

~~~

 

Papyrus did not make delicious spaghetti. You weren’t the world’s leading cuisine expert, but you were reasonably sure that spaghetti was not meant to be black. You poked at it with your fork, watching a noodle fall apart into a tiny heap of ash.

Oh God.

You attempted to make eye contact with Sans across the table, to somehow telegraph “SOS,” but he seemed to be deliberately avoiding your eyes. Well, fine, then. Papyrus was cheerfully explaining exactly what was wrong with the oak trees in Campbell Park, and you did your best to pay attention to that while soldiering through the mess on your plate.

You somehow made it through an entire plate of spaghetti and swiftly refused the proffered second helping. You could’ve sworn you saw Sans smirking at you out of the corner of your eye, noting sourly that although you never saw him take a bite of his own serving, his plate was now empty. Maybe he magicked it away somewhere.

At least Papyrus was happy. He’d been telling you about friends of theirs from the underground, most of whom, it sounded like, had moved to a nearby large city.

“So how come the two of you didn’t stay in the city near your buddies? I can’t imagine you knew anyone out here,” you asked them.

Sans and Papyrus exchanged a significant look, then glanced away. “westford is closer to the pace of life in snowdin than the city is,” Sans said, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his skull, his grin suddenly looking fixed. You immediately got the sense there was something being left unsaid. Your curiosity itched at you fiercely, but you tried – oh, you were trying – to leave it alone. 

“Oh. Can’t say I blame you,” you answered instead. 

“ACTUALLY, HUMAN _________, I’VE INVITED UNDYNE AND ALPHYS OVER FOR A SMALL PARTY TOMORROW EVENING! IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF YOU COULD JOIN US!”

You wondered for a moment whether the subject had been changed on purpose, but decided it didn’t matter. “I’d love to,” you said, smiling genuinely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had the next chapter written for days, can't wait to share it with you guys!


	7. Chapter 7

When you walked in the door that evening, the party was already in full swing. You’d gone through your entire closet in the last two hours, completely unsure what one wears to a monster gathering. Ultimately you’d thrown on a dark blue dress covered in white dots, like a field of stars in a night sky. Now that you were here, though, you felt relaxed and at home. Music was playing, and Papyrus and two other monsters were talking animatedly in the corner of the freshly cleaned living room. Papyrus was laughing uproariously at something the fish monster, whom you recognized from the pictures in the kitchen, had said. He spotted you at once and waved you over. “HUMAN! COME MEET UNDYNE AND ALPHYS!”

You grinned and made your way across the room, which, if you said so yourself, looked a thousand times better than it had a couple weeks ago. The fish monster immediately squeezed you in a tight embrace. “Hey nerd!” she said loudly, not releasing you. “Thanks for cleaning this old place up! These skele-dorks were never gonna invite us over at the rate they were going!"

“You’re welcome!” you choked out. You struggled for breath and the short yellow lizard monster standing next to her tapped her on the arm. “U-Undyne, you need to l-let her go now.”

Relinquished, you gave the shorter monster a grateful look and stuck out your hand toward her. “I’m _______,” you said. In an undertone, you added, “Thanks for saving me.”

She smiled at you anxiously and shook your hand. “I-I’m Alphys. My girlfriend gets a l-little excited sometimes…” Undyne threw an arm around Alphys’s shoulders casually.

You grinned back at the pair of them. You hadn’t realized they were together, but they seemed to suit each other perfectly. “It’s really great to meet you both. I saw the pictures of you in the kitchen the first time I came here, actually!”

“THOSE ARE FROM OUR FIRST DAY ON THE SURFACE!” Papyrus chimed in.

“That explains why everyone looks so happy,” you said, smiling at him.

A reminiscent gleam appeared in all three of the monsters’ eyes. “It was p-pretty amazing getting to see the sky for the f-first time,” Alphys said.

“I can’t imagine what that must have been like,” you said, suddenly feeling a stab of guilt at being a member of the species who’d kept them trapped. “Living your whole life underground, and then one day, everything changing just like that?”

Undyne grinned toothily at you. “What was it like for _you_ , finding out there were real-life monsters? Weren’t you scared?” She didn’t seem entirely displeased by the prospect, you thought. You hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Maybe a little bit? Like… we didn’t have any idea what monsters were like. For all we knew you would want us all dead. And I didn’t know what to expect when Paps and Sans moved here. It seemed so crazy that there were real live skeletons just down the road. Lucky for me, being the one to get to know you guys,” you said, grinning at Papyrus. “Turns out that most monsters are better people than most humans.” 

“WE ARE LUCKY TO KNOW YOU TOO, HUMAN _______!” Papyrus declared, a faint orange blush coloring his cheeks at the compliment. “IT IS NOT EVERY HUMAN WHO WOULD HAVE COME TO OUR NOBLE HOME TO OFFER ASSISTANCE, AFTER ALL!”

You thanked him for the vote of confidence, then chanced a glance at Undyne, who you felt was scrutinizing you carefully. After a moment, though, she slapped you – hard – on the back. “You seem all right to me too, nerd!”

Wincing slightly, you excused yourself to the kitchen to find a drink. You immediately collided with Sans, whose drink sloshed over the sides of the cup and onto the floor.

“Oh! Sorry!” you said automatically, putting a hand to his shoulder to steady him.

“s’okay!” he mumbled, peering with surprise at his dripping fingers, then up at you. “heyyy buddy!”

You gave a quick laugh of surprise. Sans’ cheekbones were as bright a blue as you’d ever seen them, and he was grinning hazily at you. The pinpricks of light in his eyes, normally clear and sharp, seemed blurred around the edges. “Hey Sans, having a good time?” you asked.

“oh, yeah. yeah. i like your dress. fulla… fulla spots,” he said, gesturing at your dress expansively. Drops of his spilled drink flew off his fingers as he did so, and he stopped gesturing, looking confused. “my hands’re wet.”

“Um, yeah, you spilled your drink. Let me grab you a paper towel,” you said, reaching around him to grab one. “Here you go.”

“thanks,” he said, mopping himself off clumsily.

Mercy. Guess you were babysitting a drunk skeleton tonight.

You tried to shepherd him into the living room, but he put a hand up to stop you. “________. wait a minute. gotta… gotta tell you somethin’.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” You folded your arms across your chest, unable to help the amused smile spreading across your face. God help you, he was cute like this.

“listen. i was such an asshole the first time we met. huge jerk. ya… ya didn’t deserve that. it’s just, like, you’re this… this human, y’know? didn’t know what to do. i’m a dumbass sometimes.” He paused, staring at you earnestly. “tell you a secret. c’mere.”

He beckoned you forward until you were bent down, ear near his mouth. You could smell the booze on his breath, but you also caught what you thought was his natural scent – like ozone. A thunderstorm waiting to break. “What’s your secret, Sans?”

“i think you’re really cute,” he whispered.

You drew back to look at him, your eyebrows in your hairline. You’d heard, of course, that drunken words were sober thoughts, but that had to be ridiculous in this case. It probably didn’t even apply to skeletons… right?

You realized you were blushing, though the faint red tinge to your cheeks was nothing compared to the vibrant blue still spread across Sans’ face. “’m serious,” he muttered.

“All right. Well… thank you,” you said, flustered. Sans seemed satisfied with that, though, and grabbed your hand to pull you back toward the party, the other still clutching the cup.

At once, he spotted Papyrus and released you to weave, stumbling a bit, towards him. “bro!”

A look of fond exasperation came over Papyrus’s face. “HELLO, DRUNK SANS!” You fought the urge to laugh, and based on Undyne and Alphys’s expressions, you weren’t the only one. 

Sans wrapped his free arm around Papyrus’s waist. “bro, have i told you that you are the coolest. you are the coolest brother ever, paps.”

“IT IS NATURAL THAT YOU SHOULD THINK SUCH OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” Papyrus said, looking tolerantly down at his brother. 

Giggling helplessly, you moved to assist Papyrus, prying Sans’ fingers from around his waist and pointing him towards the sofa. “Go on, then, sit down, you nut,” you said, and sat next to him when he complied.

The conversation among Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys picked back up from where it had evidently left off. It seemed to be an impassioned debate about anime, but as you’d never watched much of the genre besides Studio Ghibli films, you were content to sit and listen.

You turned back to ask Sans what he thought, but he’d fallen asleep, head resting in the corner of the couch and nestled against the fur lining of his hoodie. He was snoring gently, mouth slightly ajar, and you reached out to take the cup from his slackened grasp, setting it on the table. You gazed at him for a moment, and your heart seized almost painfully in your chest; he looked so peaceful and innocent. Without being sure why you were doing so, you leaned forward and slid your arms under him so that one arm supported his head, the other his knees, cradling him against you. Then you rose to your feet slowly, trying hard not to jostle him, and carried him out of the room and up the staircase. He was so light; it was like carrying a newborn. Some distant corner of your mind was aware that the others were watching you as you left, but you found it difficult to care.

For once, the door to his room was unlocked. You placed him gently on the bare mattress in the corner, pulling a blanket over him. Before you turned to leave, on an impulse you tried hard not to examine too closely, you brushed your lips against the sleeping skeleton’s forehead.

You turned out the light and shut the door behind you carefully. You weren’t sure if you imagined the low, contented hum from the other side of the room.


	8. Chapter 8

You arrived home from the party and shut your bedroom door behind you, sliding down until you were sitting on the floor. To your eternal gratitude, none of the three monsters who had watched you carry Sans upstairs had said anything to you about it afterwards. Papyrus had audibly winked at you (“ _WINK!_ ”) as you left, but maybe that was just Paps.

You had no idea what to do with Sans’ drunken “secret.”

You’d only just begun to get used to him – to trust that he wasn’t a threat to you. Towards that end, you were genuinely rather touched by his rambling apology. His sincerity had banished any lingering resentment you might have felt about your first meeting.

_He thinks you’re cute_ , you thought. No, _drunk_ Sans thinks you’re cute, you told yourself firmly. He probably didn’t mean much by it. Hell, he might not even remember saying it tomorrow.

And if the memory of him saying so brought warmth to your cheeks… well, that was nobody’s business but your own, was it?

 

~~~

 

Sans awoke the next day and immediately wished that he hadn’t. His skull was pounding like a drum – no, not like a drum, like the entire tympani section of an orchestra. He pressed his carpals hard against his eye sockets, trying to remember what exactly he’d done to himself to deserve this. When he finally removed his hands from his eyes, squinting hard against the bright light streaming through the window, he began assembling memories to the best of his ability. 

Okay. There was the party. Undyne and Alphys had been over. And you, too, you were there, and… he had a sinking feeling he’d said something stupid. Sans groaned. Whatever it was, it was probably going to bite him in his nonexistent ass sooner rather than later. He wasn’t sure what was worse: the idea that he might hear about it from Paps, or that he might hear about it from you.

What was he going to do about you? You kept wandering into his thoughts as of late. You and that soul of yours… All human souls hummed, some louder than others, but yours practically sang to him. It was entrancing; almost enough to make him forget how he’d never wanted anything to do with humans again. And that… that was confusing. He’d managed to convince himself, after what had happened in the city, that all he needed to do was come out here, live with Papyrus, and stay well away from humans, and everything would be fine. 

Further introspection was going to have to wait until his skull _didn’t_ feel like it was going to explode. He rolled out of bed and pulled the door open – only to be immediately confronted by you.

You dragged your cleaning-supply wagon behind you, your hair tied back under a bandana. You looked about a thousand times better than he felt.

“Oh hey Sans – wow, you look awful,” you said feelingly. There was sympathy in your gaze, but also something like embarrassment. _That_ wasn’t a good sign, Sans thought.

“gee, thanks,” he said dryly. He could barely muster the energy to pretend to be offended. “i feel like death.” 

“Strong words, coming from a skeleton,” you said, leaning on your broom. “You, uh, must’ve had a lot to drink last night.”

Sans flinched at the very mention of alcohol. “you probably know more than i do. did… did i do anything stupid?”

Your face turned red. Oh God, _really_ not a good sign. “Do you remember any of it?” you asked evasively.

Sans swiped one hand down his face, wincing. “not really.” He considered the irony: his problem was that he usually remembered too much, rather than too little.

You paused. “Oh, uh, nothing too exciting. I’ll, um, let Paps fill you in.” You fled down the hallway, your face flooded with color.

Sans stared after you, mystified and apprehensive in equal measure. Whatever Paps had to tell him, he was not going to be subtle about it. Or quiet about it.

 

~~~

 

“HOW ARE YOU FEELING, SANS?”

If Sans’ skull hadn’t felt like shattering before, it did now. “can you lower the volume a little, bro?” He rested his head on the kitchen table, hood drawn up, wishing he could turn off the sun.

Papyrus was undeterred. “HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO THE HUMAN YET TODAY? I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, BUT SHE CERTAINLY SEEMED FOND OF YOU AFTERWARDS! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Sans turned to face his brother with alacrity, his head spinning unpleasantly. “what? what happened? she wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Papyrus hesitated. “IF SHE DID NOT TELL YOU, I AM NOT CERTAIN IT IS MY PLACE.”

“she said i should ask you. c’mon, bro, what happened?” 

“ALL RIGHT. THE TWO OF YOU TALKED IN THE KITCHEN FOR A SHORT TIME, YOU PULLED HER BY THE HAND INTO THE LIVING ROOM, AND THEN YOU FELL ASLEEP.” There was such a long pause that Sans almost asked if that was all. “…AND THEN SHE CARRIED YOU UPSTAIRS AND PUT YOU TO BED.”

“…she _what?_ ”


	9. Chapter 9

It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming. On days like these, especially on a glorious Sunday off from work, you couldn’t stand to be cooped up inside. Instead, you’d texted an old friend to meet up for coffee.

You’d known Rory since high school, but you’d drifted apart once you’d gone to separate colleges. Recently, though, he’d texted you that he had moved back to Westford, and wouldn’t it be great to catch up? You had to agree that it would. The two of you had always gotten along like a particularly successful bit of arson.

Still, it was a bit of a shock when you walked through the door of the coffee shop and were immediately barreled over in an enormous hug. Rory was tall and broad-shouldered, with a mop of dark hair and a thick beard; he looked like the sort of person who ought to be chopping down trees with an axe, or perhaps playing for the NFL. 

“Rory!” you shouted, laughing as you returned the enthusiastic hug. You tapped his upper arm in the universal gesture for ‘mercy,’ and he released you, beaming at you sunnily. 

“_________! It’s so good to see you! God, it’s been ages, hasn’t it? How have you been? What are you up to? Are you living with your mom? How is she – I haven’t seen her in a million years – “ The barrage of questions continued with barely a pause for breath and you chuckled, nudging him gently over to the counter.

“Give me a second!” you said good-humoredly. “Let’s at least sit down before the interrogation starts!”

You both got coffee and scones and slid into a booth, chatting away. It turned out that Rory had gotten his degree as an x-ray tech and was working part-time at the local hospital. When he found out that you were working for a pair of living skeletons…

“They’re _what_?!” Rory yelped. “That is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard! Can I meet them? Do you think they’d let me, like, _touch_ them? You said they look like human skeletons but not exactly, right? I wonder what the differences are!”

“Okay, okay, calm down a minute,” you said, amused but slightly alarmed. Papyrus, you thought, would probably handle Rory’s enthusiasm well enough, but Sans… “I’ll ask them if they wouldn’t mind meeting you, but it’s not going to be right away, all right? And please don’t be too pushy,” you begged. “They’re not like animals in a zoo to be prodded at.”

“No, no, of course not,” Rory said, putting his hands up placatingly. “I’ll be totally respectful, don’t worry!”

You weren’t completely convinced, but you let the subject drop. The rest of the afternoon passed without further mention of monsters or skeletons, and you’d nearly forgotten about it entirely by the time you went to bed that night.

 

~~~

 

You went back to Sans’ and Papyrus’s house the next day feeling warm and contented. You’d always placed a high value on time spent with friends and hadn’t realized how much you’d missed spending time with human buddies since returning to Westford. And successful social interaction always had an improbably strong positive effect on you. Thus buoyed, you attacked the dust in the spare bedroom with a cheerful ferocity.

Sans walked past the doorway, took a peek at your soul, and was nearly blinded by the intensity of its glow. Wow, you were in a good mood.

“hey, uh, can i talk to you for a second?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“paps told me what you did the night of the party.”

Your brain took a moment to catch up. Sans must have seen it in your face, because he clarified, “once i fell asleep, i mean.”

“Oh,” you said. “Oh!” You were suddenly terrified you were in trouble. “Shit, I’m sorry, I know you told me not to go in your room. I swear I didn’t mess with anything in there. I pretty much just set you down and left.” _After kissing you on the forehead_ , your brain supplied helpfully.

Sans seemed taken aback. “no, no,” he said, thrusting his hands deep into his pockets. “i wasn’t gonna – shit. i didn’t even think about that,” he muttered. “i was actually just gonna say… thanks, i guess?” He flicked his bright pupils up to meet yours, a pastel blue blush forming on his cheeks. He took a deep breath. “you didn’t have to look after me.” He offered you a tentative smile.

Now it was your turn to blush. “Oh. Not – not a big deal,” you eventually managed, lamely. What was it about this guy that turned you into an awkward mess? You needed to do something about that. An inspiration struck you. “Hey, uh, I saw that you had a telescope in your room. Do you want to set it up in the backyard tonight, maybe? It’s supposed to be a clear night, and we’re far enough from the city that there’s not a ton of light pollution out this way.”

Sans’ answering grin was infectious. You were pretty sure you saw his pupils turn into tiny stars for a moment. “it’s a date, then. can you _comet_ nine o’clock? we’ll _star_ at the sky together.”

You tried valiantly to keep a smile off your face. There was probably something wrong with you that you actually found the puns funny, you thought wryly.

“Terrible. Awful. But also, yes,” you said. “Hang on, actually, can I give you my phone number? That way, if my mom’s trying to keep me around the house, I can be all, ‘look, someone’s texting me, I’ve gotta go –'”

“sure, gimme your phone,” he said, handing you his own. “i’ll rescue you if you’re not here by nine sharp.” He grinned, exposing his canines.

You wondered if that was another, more subtle pun. Honestly, you were a bit afraid to ask. “Thanks, man,” you said instead, and watched Sans disappear on the spot.

You opened up your phone’s contact list, curious to see what Sans had called himself. It was with stifled giggles that you saw that, above the entry labeled “THE GREAT PAPYRUS,” there was a new entry: “the comic sans.”


	10. Chapter 10

Nine o’clock was fast approaching. You were uncharacteristically jittery, and wished you could just get up and leave the house. However, you must have had a moment of prescience earlier when speaking to Sans, because your mom had taken note of the fact that you hadn’t settled in for the evening. Mothers always seemed to have a sixth sense about these things, you thought wryly.

You stuffed a backpack with a few snacks and a thick blanket, and pulled a warm tan-colored hoodie over your head. Summer was coming to an end, and the nights were getting chillier. You headed towards the door, hoping to simply toss a quick farewell over your shoulder and slip out, but your mother caught your eye from her seat on the couch.

“Where are you headed?” she asked, looking up from her book. “Isn’t it a bit late to be going out?”

You briefly considered lying and saying you were headed to one of your female friends’ houses for a sleepover, but decided against it. You weren’t completely sure if she would make a big deal of you going to the brothers’ house at this time of night, but you thought it better to give her the benefit of the doubt. “I’m going over to Sans’ and Papyrus’s house. I’m not staying the night,” you added hastily, combating the objection before she could make it. “Sans has a telescope, and we’re just stargazing. I’ll probably be a few hours and then I’ll come back.”

Technically, you were well over the age of majority and therefore did not have to answer to your mom about your comings and goings, but you found it removed a lot of stress and tension from your relationship with her to keep her informed. Right now, she was considering you with a knowing look on her face. “Not just a work relationship, is it? You’re friends with them now,” she commented.

“Yeah, I guess so,” you said. “They’ve both been really nice to me.”

“Cool. Well, try to be back before midnight, or shoot me a text if you’ll be later,” she said calmly, returning to her book.

You raised your eyebrows, having expected a bit more of a fight than this, but you weren’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Okay. Love you!”

“Love you too, be safe,” she said, not looking up.

You shut the door behind you and arrived at the old house’s front door in no time. Even so, it was 9:01 when you lifted your hand to the now-familiar doorknocker and your phone pinged before you could complete the motion.

**> the comic sans: do i need to arrange a rescue**

**> the comic sans: teleporting skeleton services are only a txt msg away**

You grinned at your screen and knocked on the door in lieu of sending an answer.

“i’ll take that as a ‘no,’ then,” Sans said, opening the door to the softly lit hallway.

“Only because I was already here, because _that_ sounds like a ride I need to take sometime,” you answered without thinking. Sans cocked an eyebrow ridge at you suggestively, and you flushed. “Minus that phrasing.”

Sans only smirked at you. “if you wanna go ahead to the backyard, i promised paps i would read him a bedtime story.”

“Paps goes to bed at nine? No wonder he always has so much energy.”

“nah, not usually, but he’s gotta get up at the crack of dawn for a work thing tomorrow. i’ll meet you outside in a few.” He vanished, leaving you standing in the entryway. You were beginning to wonder if the skeleton actually walked anywhere at all. Probably not.

You realized, stepping through the back door, that you’d never been in their backyard before. It wasn’t large, but it was clearly well cared for, the grass short and neat. Trees surrounded the perimeter, but the yard itself was a clear window to the sky above. A few clouds scudded by lazily, and the moon was bright and nearly full. Sans had already set up his telescope, so you spread the blanket on the ground next to it and lay down. You felt peaceful and warm here, staring up at the heavens – so much so that you started nodding off, your eyes drifting closed.

You shook yourself a bit. Not wanting to fall asleep before Sans even arrived, you began humming softly to yourself in an effort to keep yourself awake.

“didn’t know you were the musical type,” Sans said lightly, appearing next to you. You gasped, startled.

“You’re going to give me a heart attack!” you said, massaging your breastbone with one hand. “Don’t you ever _walk_?” you demanded, echoing your earlier thought.

Sans chuckled. “occasionally, but it’s much more fun to use shortcuts.” He gestured towards the telescope. “see anything interesting?”

You shook your head. “I was waiting for you.”

“c’mere, then. i’ve got it set up to look at mars right now. don’t know a ton about the constellations because, well, until six weeks ago i never saw a real star, but i’ve got a couple books on them…” He beckoned you over to the eyepiece of the telescope, which you put your eye against – and immediately pulled back from in disgust.

“Sans, there’s some sort of crusty garbage all over this eyepiece,” you said, wiping at your face and coming away with… old ketchup? “Okay, that’s just gross,” you complained.

Sans, meanwhile, was nearly doubled over with silent laughter. You could see tears of mirth forming in the corners of his eye sockets, and you tried – and failed – not to grin at him. “i… totally… forgot,” he wheezed. He took several moments to compose himself, taking deep breaths, then pointed at a patch of congealed ketchup above your eyebrow and dissolved into giggles again. “sorry,” he gasped, wiping at his eyes.

“No you’re not, you jerk,” you said, smiling to take any sting out of your words. It was good to see him laugh like that. “Who were you trying to prank with that, anyway?”

“remember the human child who broke the barrier a couple months ago? i got them with it. that was even better because we were underground – there weren’t any stars to look at anyway,” he said, chuckling at the memory. “came away with their eye just coated in ketchup. good times,” he added reminiscently.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re real funny,” you said, elbowing him and grinning. “The kid – their name’s Frisk, right? I remember catching the news when the monsters first came to the Surface.”

“yep, that’s them,” Sans said, grin fading slightly. “anyway, i got the eyepiece cleaned off. now you can actually look at mars.”

You did so, and you pointed out the constellations you were familiar with to Sans – a process that didn’t take long, as Orion’s Belt and the Big and Little Dippers comprised the extent of your knowledge.

Soon, the two of you were lying on your backs on the blanket you’d brought, gazing upwards contemplatively.

“Sans?”

“mm.”

“I’m curious.”

“’course you are, you’re a human.”

“Can I ask you about some things?”

Sans looked at you sideways, then settled back and shut his eyes. “only if i can ask you a question for each one you ask me.”

“Fair enough. You start, then.”

There was a brief silence, filled only by the sound of crickets. “okay. what was the song you were humming earlier?”

You had to stop and think about it. “You know, I actually don’t know. I heard it somewhere, a long time ago, but I don’t know the name of it. I just thought it was pretty. The original is a piano tune.”

“huh. it was. pretty, i mean.”

“Thanks. My turn. How does your teleporting work?”

“good question. it’s a pretty unique talent of mine. paps and i have similar magic in some ways, but i’m the only one who can take shortcuts. i just… think of where i want to go and i go there. it has to be somewhere i’ve been before, though.”

“So you couldn’t have just teleported into my house like you said earlier?”

“ah, no, not exactly. i could show up at your front door, though. i can see it from my window.” He paused. “was that two questions? i get two now.”

You gave a joking groan. “Fine, fine, go ahead.”

“will you please, for the love of god, tell me what i said at the party? paps only told me about you, uh, taking me upstairs, and i know i had to have said something stupid.”

You felt your cheeks warm at the memory. “Um. Mostly you were just apologizing… a lot… for being a jerk when we first met. And…” You trailed off, not wanting to embarrass Sans.

“c’mon, out with it.”

“You told me you thought I was really cute,” you muttered.

“…oh. uh, well – "

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I know you only said it because you were drunk. I didn’t take it seriously,” you said in a rush. Your face was burning. You couldn’t make out Sans’ face in the darkness, but you felt certain he was embarrassed too. The silence dragged on for a few moments.

“okay, moving on,” Sans said. You smiled weakly at the clear deflection. “second question: what made you want to knock on me and paps’ door in the first place, back when you were looking for work?” His voice took on a serious tone.

You scrubbed your hand across your face, trying to give a thoughtful answer. “Well… I’d been to every other house in the neighborhood, and nobody had given me a yes. And the house was so old, I thought you guys might need help making it livable. And honestly? I didn’t think fear of the unknown was a good enough reason to avoid a house with monsters in it,” you said slowly, hoping you weren’t offending him. You turned to face him. “I don’t regret it, either. You and Paps… I’m really glad to know you. Both of you.”

Impulsively, you laid your hand on top of his where it rested on the blanket, and squeezed it gently when he didn’t pull away. His fingers felt pleasantly warm and smooth to the touch. You thought the warmth must be the result of his magic, then realized when Sans cleared his throat awkwardly that you’d been holding on too long. You released his hand quickly and tried to regroup your thoughts.

“All right, my turn. What really happened, that you and Papyrus don’t live in the city?”

Sans was suddenly quite still. “told ya, buddy. snowdin – where we lived underground – is a lot more like westford than it is the city,” he said with an air of forced casualness.

“I’m sure it is, but I saw the look you and Paps gave each other when it came up over dinner the other night. That’s not the whole story, is it?”

“i don’t want to talk about it.”

“Come on, Sans – "

“‘come on,’ nothing. leave it alone,” he said quietly. His voice was icy.

“Aw, don’t be like that. I just – "

“i said **l e a v e  i t  a l o n e.** ” The command in his voice shocked you into silence. A ball of blue flame flared into being in his left eye, focused entirely on you. His other eye socket was a void of darkness. The hair on the back of your neck stood on end, and you became aware that you were trembling. The buzzing sound was back, drowning out your thoughts, and you knew, distantly, that you were panicking, but you couldn’t move, you couldn’t _breathe –_

Several endless heartbeats later, the familiar pinpricks of light returned to his eye sockets and the buzzing dissipated. You scrambled to your feet, grabbed your bag, and were back inside the house and moving to the front door before you could think. Your hands trembled against the handle. Then you were gone, the door swinging shut behind you.

You left your blanket behind.

A few moments later, Sans teleported back into his room and strode to the window. He watched you run down the street towards your house, hardly minding your surroundings. He was uncomfortably aware of the magic thrumming in his bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incidentally, the song the reader is humming is "It's Raining Somewhere Else" from the soundtrack.


	11. Chapter 11

You barely had the presence of mind to avoid running into your house and slamming the door as if chased by a demon, as that would invite unwanted questions from your mom. Instead, you made it to the front porch and sank quietly into a rocking chair, trying to slow your frantic breathing and the pounding of your heart.

What the _fuck_ had happened there? You’d thought you were past this with Sans. You thought you were friends. You knew that you’d been pushing it with him, repeatedly asking him about his past when he’d made it clear that he didn’t want to talk about it… oh, God, were _you_ in the wrong in this? You hadn’t meant to badger him, but you’d definitely been pressing the issue too hard. 

No, though, the other part of you insisted. He’d essentially resorted to threatening you when all you’d been doing was asking him a question. In what universe was that okay? You shouldn’t have to walk on eggshells to keep yourself safe. Granted, he hadn’t actually laid a hand on you, but you were clearly hopelessly outmatched when it came to his magic.

You were still shaking, you realized. Your mom was definitely going to notice that something was wrong. Especially when you didn’t go to their house on Monday, because no way were you going back there anytime soon.

What were you going to tell Papyrus?

You told yourself that you’d stay on the porch just a little longer. Just until you stopped shaking.

 

~~~

 

Sans absolutely hated himself sometimes.

Now was one of those times.

He could still see you from his window, rocking yourself slowly back and forth on your rocking chair on the front porch. Why had he done that? He’d felt like such an ass the first time you’d met, and he’d managed to make up for that, but _this_ …

He was an expert in rationalizing his own actions, up to and including the incident that you’d been so insistent on knowing about. He only brought his offensive magic to bear when there was a threat, whether real or only perceived. This case was neither. What threat had you posed him? You were just a human girl – too curious for your own damn good, it was true, but all you’d done was ask him a question. To scare you like that – it was unconscionable.

Fuck, what was he going to tell Papyrus when you didn’t come back day after tomorrow?

He stood and stared out the window, not taking his eyes off you until he saw you go inside.

 

~~~

 

“WHAT’S WRONG?”

“…what? nothing.”

“I’M NOT BLIND, SANS.”

“didn’t say you were, bro.” Sans was barely paying attention to the conversation. Papyrus narrowed his eyes at him. He’d come home for lunch to find his brother staring off into space with a look that Papyrus found… concerning. He’d started to see that look on his face more and more often in Snowdin, but he’d always thought it best to pretend not to notice, to preserve the illusion of normalcy that Sans apparently wanted to maintain. He was getting tired of pretending. 

“DID YOU AND THE HUMAN HAVE A FUN TIME LAST NIGHT?”

Sans flinched but acted as though he hadn’t. “yeah, it was nice,” he said shortly.

“SANS…” 

“yeah, paps?”

“…NEVER MIND.”

He was getting _so_ tired of pretending.

 

~~~

 

You awoke on Monday and immediately remembered that you were supposed to go to Sans’ and Papyrus’s house. The thought made you want to vomit. You opened a group text to the pair of them.

**> (xxx)xxx-xxxx: Hey guys, I’m sorry, but I’m feeling really sick and I can’t come over today.**

It was hardly even a lie, you thought, nausea still churning in your gut. You felt terrible for not helping out Papyrus, though. 

**> THE GREAT PAPYRUS: OH NO, HUMAN! I AM SORRY YOU’VE CONTRACTED AN ILLNESS! WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER?  
**

You smiled wanly at your screen.

**> (xxx)xxx-xxxx: Don’t worry about me, Paps. I’ll just have some chicken noodle soup and some sleep and I’ll be fine.**

You relaxed fractionally against your pillow. Surely, you didn’t need to stay away forever. All you and Sans needed was some space from each other. You had shut your eyes and begun to drift back off when your phone chimed again. 

**> the comic sans: hope u feel better bud**

Well, that was nice of him. You supposed he understood that your “being sick” was only a story to keep you out of his house for the day. You weren’t sure if you ought to respond.

**> (xxx)xxx-xxxx: Thanks**

Too terse, probably, but you had nothing to say to him. It’d been utter radio silence between the two of you over the last twenty-four hours, and right now, you didn’t think you could stomach being the bigger person and apologizing first. Even with the nagging sense that you’d been unkind…

 Ugh.

Just then, your mom knocked on your bedroom door. “Sweetie? Aren’t you getting up?”

Might as well round out the lie. “I’m not feeling too great. I already texted Sans and Papyrus to let them know I’m not going over today.” 

“Sorry you’re not feeling well,” your mom said as she came in. “You don’t look too hot either.”

You made a face. There’s your karma for lying, you thought, comments like that.

Your mom leaned over to you and pressed the back of her hand against your forehead. “Well, you’re not running a fever, at least. I have to go to work. Want me to pick anything up from the store on the way home?”

You shook your head. “Nah, I’m okay. I think I’m just going to take a bath and then go back to sleep.”

“Sounds like a plan, chickadee. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.” She ruffled your hair, then turned around and left the room. You smiled at her as she left. You loved your mom. 

In all honesty, a bath and a nap sounded fantastic, sick or not. You did just that, luxuriating in the bathwater until it went cold, then changing back into clean pajamas and going to bed. You still felt anxious and unsettled, but slept deeply and dreamlessly.

 

You awoke to the foggy disorientation that nearly always followed your naps. The clock read 3:52, and the light streaming through your window told you it was the middle of the afternoon. You stretched, then realized what had woken you: the sound of someone knocking on the front door downstairs. Feeling befuddled, you stumbled down the stairs and pulled the door open to reveal Papyrus, who was standing there with a bag of groceries.

“GOOD AFTERNOON, HUMAN! I HAVE COME TO MAKE YOU BETTER!”

You gaped at him for a moment. All the post-nap cobwebs in your brain gave you the distinct impression that you might well be dreaming. The moment of bewilderment evidently gave Papyrus cause for concern, because he furrowed his brow at you. “MAY I COME IN?”

You tried to snap out of your mental fog. “Yeah! Yeah, sorry, of course, come on in!” You eyed the bag he brought inside. “What do you have there?”

“YOU SAID YOU NEEDED CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP! SO I THOUGHT I COULD MAKE YOU SOME!” Papyrus said cheerfully.

Your experience with Papyrus’s cooking left you feeling a bit dubious at this prospect. You led him into the kitchen and took his bag from him, unloading its contents onto the table. Okay, there was a chicken breast, spaghetti noodles, and chicken broth… but there was also a jar of marinara sauce and two whole tomatoes. You hid your smile behind your hand.

“Paps, why don’t you sit down here and let me take care of the cooking?”

“BUT YOU’RE SICK! I SHOULD BE THE ONE COOKING!”

Huh, that was a good point. Damn. “But… you’re my guest. If you want to help, why don’t you chop this onion and celery for me?” you asked, pulling the items from your fridge. That seemed like a reasonably safe option. It wasn’t like he could really cut himself.

“I WOULD BE HAPPY TO!” Papyrus declared, brightening.

The two of you worked in companionable silence for several minutes, and soon you had a pot of soup bubbling merrily away.

“So, um, how’s Sans doing?” you asked, hoping you sounded like you were only making general conversation. Papyrus’s expression seemed to cloud slightly.

“I’M NOT CERTAIN. HE’S SEEMED A BIT… OFF… SINCE YOUR EVENING TOGETHER,” Papyrus said. There was something in his tone of voice you hadn’t heard there before, and you suddenly felt nervous.

“Listen, Paps, I’m not asking you to explain any details, but… did something bad happen in the city before the two of you moved here? I asked Sans about it the other night and it didn’t, um, go very well. I guess I’m just wondering exactly how big of a landmine I accidentally stepped on,” you said, all in a rush.

Papyrus looked serious at your words. “I’M GLAD YOU DIDN’T ASK ME TO TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED, BECAUSE IT IS NOT MY PLACE TO SAY. IT WAS…” Papyrus hesitated. “IT WAS NOT A GOOD THING. I WOULD NOT ADVISE YOU TO PURSUE THE SUBJECT WITH SANS. HE FEELS… VERY BADLY ABOUT IT.”

You stirred your soup quietly, feeling guilty. 

“I WILL ALSO TELL YOU THAT I LOVE MY BIG BROTHER VERY MUCH, AND I DO NOT WANT TO SEE HIM HURT.” He fixed you with a stern look. “DO NOT HURT MY BROTHER.”

“I… I won’t,” you said, feeling very much abashed.

“GOOD!” he said. “HOW LONG UNTIL THE SOUP IS READY? IT IS NO SPAGHETTI BUT IT SMELLS DELICIOUS NONETHELESS!”

“Oh, uh, about twenty minutes,” you said, a little surprised by the emotional whiplash. You leaned over and gave Papyrus a one-armed hug. “Thanks, Paps. You’re a good brother, you know that?” 

“THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS OF COURSE AN EXCELLENT BROTHER!” Papyrus said, but you noticed his cheekbones flush slightly orange at the praise. 

“A good friend, too! Not just anybody would come over and help me make soup when I’m not feeling well,” you added, smiling warmly at him.

“WHY THANK YOU, HUMAN!” Papyrus seemed extremely pleased at your words.

You chatted while the soup finished cooking, then you ladled two portions into a Tupperware and put it in Papyrus’s bag with his tomatoes and marinara sauce, which he didn’t seem to have noticed never made it into the food. Then you hugged him goodbye and watched him stride back home, feeling much better about the prospect of returning there on Wednesday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://human-merelybeing.tumblr.com/).


	12. Chapter 12

You stayed home the next day with plans of being productive. You’d been starting to fall behind on your articles since picking up your second job, and you had every intention of catching up today. You’d barely begun when your phone chimed three times in quick succession.

**> the comic sans: hey do u think u could come by the house sometime today**

**> the comic sans: i still have ur blanket**

**> the comic sans: and maybe we could talk 4 a minute**

You leaned back in your computer chair, anxiety prickling underneath your skin. If you were being honest with yourself, you were still rather upset with Sans, even if your conversation with Papyrus had calmed you somewhat. 

**> (xxx)xxx-xxxx: I’ll be back over there to work tomorrow, can it wait?**

You _were_ busy, legitimately. You weren’t being petty. Not at all.

A few minutes passed.

**> the comic sans: i guess**

**> the comic sans: but also not rly**

You let out a breath, feeling torn. The silence dragged out as you contemplated how to answer, but your phone chimed again before you could.

**> the comic sans: please?  
**

Oh, _fine.  
_

**> (xxx)xxx-xxxx: Okay. Be over in a few minutes.**

 

~~~

 

The butterflies in your stomach as you walked up to the house grew in intensity with every step you took. It was not a pleasant feeling, the mix of anger and worry and apprehension threatening to engulf you, to turn your steps around and send you running back home –

Okay, get a grip, you told yourself firmly. You’re fine. You’re here to get a damn blanket and have a conversation. Not a big deal.

You raised your hand and clicked the doorknocker before your determination failed you. Sans answered the door almost at once. He looked much the same as he ever did, but there was something different about the way he carried himself, you thought; it was as if there were weights tied to him.

“your blanket’s in the living room if you wanna come in,” Sans muttered, looking up at you then away.

Nodding mutely, you followed him inside. The house seemed almost oppressively silent. No Papyrus, you guessed.

You picked up your blanket from where it lay folded on the sofa and sat down, hugging it against your stomach. Sans sat down next to you, but with a sizable gap between you. Giving you space. He thrust his hands into his pockets.

You cleared your throat. “Okay, look. I know I was out of line the other night. I kept pushing you after you said you didn’t want to talk. That was rude of me and I’m sorry. But that… that thing that you do with your eye and your magic buzzing at me like – I don’t know, like a swarm of bees – that crap has got to stop. You scare the shit out of me when you do that. It’s intimidating and it’s threatening and friends don’t pull that kind of shit on each other, okay?” You stopped, breathing hard. Sans was studying his bony knees, avoiding your gaze. You could see droplets of sweat on the side of his skull.

He didn’t say anything. The silence stretched on so long that you began to wonder whether he ever would. “Sans?” you said quietly. You wanted to reach out and touch his arm, but didn’t feel like you ought to.

“i’m so sorry,” he finally said, his voice coming out in a gravelly whisper. He drew his knees up against his chest. “i got scared.”

“ _You_ got scared of _me_?” you asked, surprise coloring your voice.

“yeah. no. that’s… that’s not what i mean.” He sounded frustrated. “you’re asking me to talk about something complicated, and it sucked, and i didn’t mean – i didn’t want – ” He cut himself off, his voice sounding increasingly upset with every word.

“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. I didn’t come back over here to make you tell me what happened, all right? You told me you didn’t want to talk about it, and I respect that. You don’t have to make yourself talk about it, if you don’t want to or you’re not ready to,” you said, trying to make your voice as soothing as possible. Sans’ breathing was harsh and ragged. Your heart twisted painfully in your chest, and you moved closer to him on the couch, tentatively reaching a hand towards him. When he didn’t stop you or move away, you put your arm around his shoulders and gently tugged him towards you. He didn’t resist, leaning tensely against your chest. You could feel him trembling slightly. “It’s okay,” you whispered.

“it isn’t. i flipped out on _her_ and then i flipped out on _you_ and it’s not okay. it’s not,” he said, swiping his hands against his eye sockets. “i’m not.”

You didn’t know what to say, so you settled for hugging him more tightly. After a few moments, he sat back up, visibly bringing himself back under control.

“i’m really sorry i used my magic the way i did the other night,” he said, looking you directly in the eyes, his pupils dim. “it won’t happen again, i promise. and i hate making promises, so you can take that to the bank.” He forced a smile, then got to his feet. “i’m gonna go back upstairs now. thanks for coming over.” He took a few steps, then looked back at you again, his customary grin still forced. “seriously, thank you.”

Then he teleported away, leaving you feeling, somehow, worse than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://human-merelybeing.tumblr.com/).


	13. Chapter 13

_Down the hall from his bedroom, Sans could see a light glowing in the kitchen.  
_

_It didn’t make sense. Papyrus wasn’t home, and there was no one else who yet had the keys to the small, musty apartment. He hesitated at his bedroom door, having just woken from a restless doze. He’d heard the stories of other monsters’ homes being broken into: the graffiti, the smashed belongings, the slurs painted on the walls. The hopes of a peaceful existence on the Surface being dashed. He crept down the hallway, misgivings rising, his slippers preventing the bones of his feet from clacking loudly on the laminate floor._

_He turned the corner into the kitchen, his heart leaping into his throat._

_A short human with dark hair and blue clothing stood there. Sans saw the knife in their hand – the huge, gleaming knife –_

_Without a moment to think, to consider, he grabbed the knife with his magic and flung it into the wall point-first. The woman screamed –_

Sans awoke with a gasp, a blue haze of magic surrounding him. The memory had been plaguing him for a week now, catapulting him into wakefulness when he slept, making him shudder when he was already awake. If he had the will to, he might have blamed you for bringing it to the forefront of his thoughts, but he knew you had no ill intent behind your questions. You’d already apologized, anyhow.

He flung his blanket off of him, feeling far too hot and stifled. The post-nightmare magical haze was barely dissipating, and he felt strange and out-of-sorts in his own body. He took a step forward, intending to teleport to the kitchen –

– and completely overshot it, landing in his backyard in the dew-covered grass. He frowned. He never missed his mark while teleporting. He had to be really off his game, he thought blearily. Sans rubbed at the back of his skull, the magic at his fingertips sparking like static against his bones, shooting off into the misty air like miniature fireworks. Peering at his fingertips in confusion, he rubbed a few of them against each other to the same effect. What the hell?

He walked through the sliding glass door into the kitchen to get some water, reaching out with his magic to lift down a glass from the high shelves, a trick he’d used a thousand times. Except this time, the blue wisps of magic buzzed ineffectively against the glass, and nothing happened. His frown deepened, and he tried again, this time pulling three glasses down around him. Two of them shattered on impact, and he let out a half-voiced shout of surprise. Upstairs, he heard a door bang open. In another moment, Papyrus clattered down the stairs and ran into the kitchen. “SANS?!”

“yeah, it’s just me, bro,” Sans answered, trying to sound flippant. “knocked some glasses down.”

Papyrus stared at him in concern. “ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? YOU SEEM TO BE SWEATING MORE THAN USUAL!”

Was he? He hadn’t even noticed. He wished his hands would stop tingling, though.

“i’m fine,” he lied. He felt so warm. Wasn’t it autumn? Should it be this warm? “i’m… just tired, i guess.” He grabbed the unbroken glass and set it aside. “you mind grabbing the broom? i’ll clean this up.” Normally he’d just use his magic to gather up the broken shards, but that seemed like a bad idea after everything that had happened in the past five minutes.

“MAYBE… MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST GO UP TO BED, SANS! I WILL TAKE CARE OF THE CLEANUP!” Papyrus suggested. Clearly his brother needed rest. He was often lazy, but rarely clumsy.

“yeah… maybe i should,” Sans said. “thanks, bro.”

“THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP!” Papyrus watched his brother trudge past him, tiny shards of glass tinkling to the floor as they shook loose from his rumpled clothing, and decided not to comment further. He rarely had a completely clear view of what was going on with his big brother, but now didn’t seem the time to ask questions.

Sans traipsed slowly back up the staircase to his room. He just needed a good night’s rest for once, he told himself. Just one good night…

He was asleep again as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 

~~~

 

_You’re falling into darkness. Falling, falling, falling…_

_You land in a circle of light, surrounded by pitch darkness your eyes can’t penetrate. You feel fear running up your spine, terror more intense than you’ve ever experienced. There’s something waiting for you outside that circle of light, and it does not mean you well._

_You have to find Sans. Where is he? You don’t know why it’s so important that you find him, but it feels critical. More vital than oxygen. You’re panicking, calling his name over and over._

**B U T  N O B O D Y  C A M E**

You woke up in a cold sweat, your heart pounding. What the hell was that? You glanced at the clock: 2:18am. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you pulled out your cell phone and found him in your list of contacts, pushing the call button. It rang out and eventually hit his voicemail: “ _you’ve reached sans the skeleton. leave me a sans-sational message at the beep.”_

You ended the call without leaving a message. What would you say anyway? “Oh, hey, just had a nightmare and wanted you to know, toodles”? You rolled over, feeling exhausted and inexplicably anxious. Rationally, you knew that he was probably just sleeping the way you ought to be right now, but…

It was a long time before you managed to drift off into an uneasy doze, unable to shake the sense that something was terribly wrong.

 

~~~

 

The next morning you awoke, once again, to the sound of someone pounding on the front door downstairs. The sense of déjà vu gave you pause for a moment, but this time, your mom was the one to answer the door. You struggled out of bed, listening to see who was at the door this time. There was a beat of silence, then Papyrus’s voice, carrying clearly up the stairs: “GOOD MORNING! YOU MUST BE ______’S MOTHER! IS SHE HOME? IT IS EVER SO SLIGHT OF AN EMERGENCY!” His voice sounded strained.

You scrambled into jeans and a t-shirt. An emergency?

A couple more beats of silence, in which you assumed your mother was trying to come to terms with the appearance of a six-and-a-half-foot skeleton in her doorway. Though her voice didn’t carry quite as clearly as Papyrus’s, you could hear a muffled request for him to come in while she went to go find you. You’d just gotten your pants on when she came into your room without preamble.

“Honey.”

“Yes?"

“There’s a very tall skeleton here to see you.” She seemed to be struggling with this concept internally, and you tried not to laugh. After all, you’d been a bit stunned by Papyrus too, the first time you’d met.

“Yeah, I heard him,” you said, grinning at the shell-shocked look on her face. “Isn’t he nice?”

“…Nice. Right. Will you come downstairs please? I don’t know what you’re supposed to do when a skeleton knocks on your door at nine o’clock in the morning, and I have to head to work in another half hour.”

You shrugged at her, still smiling. “He doesn’t bite, I promise. But yeah, I’ll come downstairs. Give me just a minute to put my hair up.”

You did so, and trotted down the stairs after her, greeting Papyrus on your way down, who was uncharacteristically fidgety. Your mother stood off to one side, watching the two of you. “Hey Paps, what’s going on?”

As soon as he saw you, Papyrus’s eyes filled with tears. Alarmed, you gave him a hug and grabbed a box of tissues for him, guiding him over to the sofa. “Are you okay?” you asked. “Did something happen?” The feeling of foreboding from the night before uncoiled like a snake in your gut.

“IT’S SANS,” Papyrus sobbed. “HE’S GONE!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://human-merelybeing.tumblr.com/).


	14. Chapter 14

“ _What?”_ you said in a strangled voice. Your mind instantly fled to the worst possibility. “What do you mean, he’s gone? You don’t mean he’s…” You couldn’t make yourself say it.

“NO! NO, I MEAN THAT HE’S MISSING,” Papyrus clarified, looking horrified at your unspoken implication. He shuddered at the thought, another tear slowly tracking down his face.

“Oh, thank God,” you said without thinking, relief making you sag against the couch cushions. “Well – you know what I mean,” you added when Papyrus looked at you. “It’s not good he’s missing, but it’s miles better than _that_.” You paused for a moment, attempting to marshal your thoughts. “Okay, can you tell me what happened?”

“NORMALLY WHEN I AWAKEN, I CAN HEAR SANS SNORING IN THE OTHER ROOM. THIS MORNING, I DID NOT HEAR HIM, SO I WENT INTO HIS ROOM TO WISH HIM A GOOD MORNING,” Papyrus began, his usually-confident voice still hesitant and shaky. “HE WAS NOT THERE. I THEN DID A THOROUGH SEARCH OF THE HOUSE AND BOTH THE FRONT AND BACK YARDS. HE WASN’T THERE. I DON’T…” Papyrus’s voice broke. “I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHERE HE MIGHT HAVE GONE. HE DOESN’T LEAVE, NOT SINCE… NOT SINCE WE MOVED HERE.” He met your eyes. “BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY, HUMAN, THAT MY BROTHER WOULD NOT GO FAR WITHOUT TELLING ME. EVEN IF HE _HAS_ BEEN ACTING STRANGE LATELY.” 

“How strange are we talking here?” you asked, recalling your conversation with him a week ago. “A lot’s been going on, lately.”

Papyrus sighed. “THAT’S TRUE. NOT THAT HE’LL EVER TALK ABOUT IT.” The note of bitterness in his voice surprised you, and you patted his shoulder consolingly.

“All right. What’s our next move, then? Is there anyone we can call, someone he might have teleported to? What about Alphys and Undyne, do you think…?” Papyrus was already shaking his head.

“I ALREADY CALLED THEM. ACTUALLY, I CALLED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR FRIENDS. NONE OF THEM HAVE SEEN HIM!” Papyrus was getting steadily more agitated. You winced, remembering the last time you annoyed a skeleton.

“This is probably a stupid question, but… have you tried calling _his_ cell phone?”

Papyrus opened his mouth, then shut it. He raised a finger into the air. “WHAT AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION THAT I OBVIOUSLY THOUGHT OF HOURS AGO, HUMAN!” Despite the gravity of the situation, you found yourself trying not to grin. Papyrus produced his cell phone and called his brother’s phone… which, disappointingly, rang out and went to voicemail as it had for you the night before.

Papyrus’s face fell again, and you felt bad for getting his hopes up. “Don’t worry,” you said reassuringly. “We’ll find him.” Papyrus nodded. You could tell he still felt miserable despite the skeletal grin he put on his face. Putting a hand on his shoulder, you turned to your mom, who had been standing in the corner, watching your discussion with a solemn, watery-eyed expression. You opened your mouth to speak, but she shook her head, putting a hand up to stop you.

“Do whatever you need to,” she said at once. “I’ll be at work. Just keep me posted, all right?” Then, to your surprise and gratitude, she turned to Papyrus. “Go find your brother. I know he must be very important to you.” Papyrus jumped up and seized her in a – thankfully gentle – hug.

“I WILL, HUMAN! AND, YES, HE IS!” Papyrus said, clearly choked up by her sympathy.

“All right,” you said decisively, standing up. “Let’s go. First stop, your house. Maybe we can find some kind of clue there.”

 

~~~

 

The two of you headed to the house and immediately set to work thoroughly canvassing the property. You felt faintly ridiculous searching cabinets, closets, and even Papyrus’s wardrobe, but you figured it was better to be safe than sorry. You saved Sans’ room for last. You ventured into the room with Papyrus right behind you, feeling slightly guilty at the invasion of privacy. You’d only been in here once before, and you had never given it any level of scrutiny.

“Well, I should’ve guessed the one room I’ve been kept from cleaning is the room that needs it the most,” you said, trying to inject a note of levity into your voice.

If Papyrus had a nose, he would have wrinkled it. “YES. SANS’ SENSE OF CLEANLINESS HAS ALWAYS LEFT A LOT TO BE DESIRED,” he said.

That was a bit of an understatement, you thought. The room was an utter cacophony of clothing, papers, books, and odds and ends. There was a small mountain of socks in one corner – what were those even for? Sans didn’t _wear_ socks. He always had on those ratty pink slippers – which, you noted, were still in the room. Huh. “Paps, do you know if Sans has more than one pair of slippers? Or does he wear something else to leave the house?”

Papyrus shook his head. “HE ALWAYS WEARS THE SAME PAIR OF SLIPPERS.” 

“Well, wherever he is, he’s barefoot, in that case,” you commented, continuing your inventory of the room. “And _this_ explains why he’s not answering calls,” you added, picking up his cell phone from his desk. Between the two discoveries, it added up to someone who hadn’t prepared, or perhaps even intended, to leave. As if he’d been kidnapped, you thought, a sense of dread swooping through your gut. You didn’t voice the thought.

You spotted the telescope folded up against the wall, then the small bookcase next to it. There were a _lot_ of science books in here. Physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology…? You had no idea these things interested him. You thumbed through one of the textbooks and saw that Sans had written copious amounts of notes in the margins in small, cramped handwriting. You shut the book and put it back, realizing you’d barely even begun to get to know your skeletal friend. 

As interesting as this was, it wasn’t helping you find him. You turned away from the bookcase, feeling frustrated, when you heard a faint beeping sound. Your eyes fell on a small black plastic device sitting on his desk underneath some loose papers. There were two LED lights embedded in the front of it, one green and the other red. Every once in a while, the red light would blink, coinciding with the beeping noise. “Hey Paps? What’s this?” 

Papyrus’s brow furrowed as he examined it. “SOMETHING THAT SANS MADE WHEN WE LEFT THE UNDERGROUND, I THINK.”

“What’s it do?”

“IT’S A SECURITY SYSTEM. IF ANYONE GOT INTO OUR HOUSE IN SNOWDIN, IT WOULD BLINK… RED… HEY, THAT’S WHAT IT’S DOING NOW!”

“You don’t think… Paps, what if Sans teleported back into the Underground? Could he do that?”

Dawning comprehension and excitement bloomed across Papyrus’s face. “YES, HE COULD! I DON’T SEE WHY HE _WOULD_ , BUT HE MOST CERTAINLY COULD!”

“How would we get there? There’s a road to Mount Ebott, I know, but how do you enter the Underground itself?”

Papyrus frowned in thought. “THERE’S THE EXIT WHERE THE BARRIER USED TO BE. I SUPPOSE THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO FALL IN, THE WAY THAT MY GOOD FRIEND FRISK DID!”

“The first idea sounds a lot safer,” you said.

“IT PROBABLY WOULD BE…”

You sensed an objection. “But?”

“…BUT THE SECOND OPTION PUTS US MUCH CLOSER TO SNOWDIN. IT USED TO BE THAT THE RIVERPERSON COULD GET US AROUND THE UNDERGROUND QUICKLY, BUT I DON’T THINK ANYONE STAYED BEHIND! WE’LL BE ON OUR OWN, ONCE WE GET DOWN THERE.”

You chewed on your lip. “There are a few other problems with this. First of all, we don’t know for sure that it’s Sans making this thing go off.” You tapped the black box.

“WHO ELSE COULD IT BE?”

“I have no idea,” you admitted. “But it’s possible it's someone else. The second problem is, what if Sans comes back while we’re off looking for him? It’s a lot easier for him to get around than it is for us. He could teleport back at any moment.” You paused and looked around half-expectantly, as if saying so would cause him to return. He didn’t, of course. 

Papyrus looked incredulously at you. “I HOPE YOU’RE NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN’T GO LOOKING FOR HIM!”

“No, no, of course not,” you said hastily. “Do… do you think one of us should stay behind?” You weren’t too keen on that idea yourself. Fortunately, Papyrus seemed to share your reluctance.

“YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING, SO YOU CAN’T GO WITHOUT ME! AS FOR ME GOING WITHOUT YOU – ”

“I wouldn’t let you leave me behind,” you said firmly. “He’s my friend, and so are you. We’ll go together. We’ll just need to leave a note telling him to call us if he comes back… Do cell phones work Underground?”

Papyrus brightened. “YES THEY DO!”

“Well then.” You gave a determined smile. “Let’s go get Sans.”


	15. Chapter 15

Of course, that was easier said than done. It was one thing to go to the Underground _before_ the Barrier fell, when it was full of monsters, but to do it now was to enter a ghost town. A ghost _world_. You’d need food, for one thing. And if you got there and, heaven forbid, Sans wasn’t there, or even if he was and he couldn’t bring a human with him when he teleported – you’d asked Papyrus about this, but although he knew Sans could take other monsters with him, neither of you were certain the ability extended to humans, and you weren’t too keen on the idea of getting lost in a literal Void – you were going to need enough food and supplies to last you traveling from one end of the Underground to the other.

On foot.

This was starting to sound like a terrible idea, but you had no other options – well, besides sitting around on your ass and hoping Sans came back on his own. But even without Papyrus’s nervous energy spurring you forward, you knew you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you chose to be a coward. Besides which, you genuinely cared about the little numbskull. Dammit.

You found a couple backpacks and began filling them with snacks, extra clothes, toiletries, and the blanket you’d brought to their house for stargazing for good measure. Thinking of Sans, you also grabbed a few bottles of ketchup from their downstairs pantry.

Finally feeling as prepared as you were likely to ever feel, you and Papyrus loaded up his shining red convertible. You composed a text to your mom letting her know the situation. She wasn’t thrilled that you had so little idea how long you’d be gone, but she gave her blessing as long as you promised to keep her in the loop.

With that, you and Papyrus hit the road.

 

~~~

 

The first leg of your journey was great. If you hadn’t had the spectre of Sans’ disappearance hanging over your head, you would have enjoyed yourself immensely. The weather was beautiful, the road to the mountain was swift and unclogged with traffic, and Papyrus, surprisingly, was an excellent driver. You leaned back in your seat, enjoying the feeling of the sun on your face and trying very hard not to think of how long it might be before you felt its warmth again.

All too soon, the mountain loomed before you. You glanced at Papyrus, who looked decidedly unhappy. He caught your glance and gritted his teeth in a forced smile, inclining his head towards the mountain. “NOW THAT I SEE IT, HUMAN, I REALIZE HOW MUCH I NEVER HOPED TO GO UNDER MOUNT EBOTT AGAIN. I GREATLY PREFER THE SURFACE!”

You nodded your head in understanding. To go your whole life without seeing the sky, then escaping, only to have to return some months later… It sounded like torture.

“FOR MY BROTHER, HOWEVER, I WILL DO ANYTHING! EVEN… EVEN THIS,” he added, smiling a little tensely.

“You guys really love each other, huh,” you said. You didn’t have any siblings yourself. You could only hope that, if you did, you would have half as tight a bond as Sans and Papyrus did.

“HE RAISED ME HIMSELF!” Papyrus said proudly, and you were relieved to hear his voice lose some of its tension. “HE IS THE COOLEST BIG BROTHER ANYONE HAS EVER HAD!”

You smiled. “I bet he is,” you said sincerely.

The rest of the ride passed quickly, and soon Papyrus parked his car near the base of the mountain. You craned your neck, looking up at its peak. From a distance, Mount Ebott easily dwarfed the rest of the landscape, and here at its base, it seemed to climb into the heavens themselves. You handed Papyrus his backpack and hefted your own, feeling nervous. “All right, lead the way,” you said.

Since Frisk had returned to the Surface with the rest of the monsters, the spot where the child had fallen into the Underground had been marked off, to prevent climbers from doing on accident what you were about to do on purpose. You gulped a little noisily, turning to look at Papyrus. “This still seems like the better idea to you?” you asked.

Papyrus hesitated, but nodded. “PERHAPS I SHOULD GO FIRST, HUMAN!” 

You were about to agree with him when your foot caught on a loose rock, and you stumbled backwards. Your mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ of surprise as you fell.

Guess you were going first, after all.

 

~~~

 

Minutes later, you opened your eyes with one cheek pressed to the ground. You could smell grass and flowers and the damp scent of cave-born mildew. Somewhere above you, Papyrus was shouting your name, and you forcibly righted yourself so you could call back assurances of your safety. As soon as you did, however, déjà vu hit you for the second time that day, this time much stronger than the last.

_You land in a circle of light, surrounded by pitch darkness your eyes can’t penetrate. You feel fear –_

_You have to find Sans –_

Your reality so closely mirrored your dream from the night before that you froze where you stood.

Chills ran up your spine, and you could only hope that the sense of something waiting for you in the darkness was mere fantasy.

 

~~~

 

Sans woke up shivering. He groped around for his blanket and came up empty-handed, so, muttering and grumbling, he unwillingly opened his eyes.

He let out a quiet moan of despair, and his soul sank like a stone deep within his chest.

He was back in Snowdin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And on that cheerful note, I should warn you guys that I'm going to be gone the next couple of weeks, and there most likely won't be any updates til mid-October. Feel free to come yell over at my [tumblr](http://human-merelybeing.tumblr.com/). :)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Your comments give me life!


	16. Chapter 16

_any minute now_ , Sans thought dully, _papyrus is gonna yell at me to get up, it’s time for sentry duty. time to go face that kid_ again. The thought filled him with despair. Just when he thought he was free of resets, free to live a life he couldn’t predict down to the last sentence…

But Papyrus’s voice didn’t come.

Curious and a bit perplexed, Sans hopped off his bed and looked for his slippers. They weren’t there. Mentally shrugging his shoulders, he shuffled down the hallway, bare metatarsals against the thin carpet. “paps?” he called.

Silence.

If there was one good thing about resets, it was that he could always count on Papyrus to be there, groaning at his jokes and scolding him for his laziness. The familiarity was as comforting as it was soul-crushing, when he let himself think about the number of times he’d seen the same few days play out, over and over. He traced a habitual path around their home. “hello? papyrus?”

There was no answer.

There was an eerie emptiness to the air that Sans didn’t like. The Underground didn’t have insects; no manner of hissing or buzzing creatures to fill the air in the absence of the sounds of larger organisms. Sans had never minded before, but now the silence pressed down against his bones like a physical weight. If he had a heart, he could have heard its beating.

Sans became aware, as the silent seconds ticked by, that he didn’t feel… right. His skull felt as though it were packed with cotton wool, and despite the chill in the air, he felt uncomfortably warm. It occurred to him, with a grim kind of humor, that this might be what humans felt like when they were sick. But monsters didn’t get sick, he reasoned. He wasn’t a creature of messy biology, where any stressor might trigger some malfunction or other; he was bone and magic and Soul, no more and no less. He shook himself, trying to clear the fuzzy sensation.

Sans tried to look through the front window to the street outside, but a thick film of frost and dirt obscured his view, so he opened the door instead. A cold breeze whipped past him.

The street was utterly empty. Every building was dim and shuttered. Even the Christmas tree in the center of town was dark and wilting. Where _was_ everybody?

If Sans had a stomach, it would have turned at the forceful memories which now gripped him. Images poured through his mind of dust and desolation, the grim realities left behind by those timelines in which the human had turned their determination to nothing less than genocide. His brother – all his friends – gone. At the mercy of one who had no mercy to offer them.

Sans flinched, trying to quell the tendrils of disquiet curling around his bones, and made an effort to approach his situation rationally. It was so hard to think through the haze of mental fog, but he tried, sternly telling himself not to leap to conclusions.

If no one was around in Snowdin, he’d go to Hotland and find Alphys, he decided. If she was there, she’d be able to tell him what was going on. He focused on teleporting, the familiar sensation of magic suddenly thrumming much too loudly through his bones –

\- and landed, abruptly and with a loud squelching sound, in swampy reeds. With a quick rush of vertigo (that he should _not_ be feeling, this was his own damn magic, what was wrong with him?), he fell on his butt, murky water soaking through his striped basketball shorts and coating everything below his waist in muck. Sans groaned in disgust. His head was swimming, worse than before, and the sensation of mud squelched unpleasantly between the bones of his feet and ankles.

Rising to his feet to seek the path he knew ran through this area of Waterfall, he failed to notice the brief sparking of errant magic at his fingertips.

He pulled himself onto solid ground next to a solitary echo flower, whose petals he brushed. “I just want everyone to be happy,” it informed him.

“yeah, don’t we all,” he muttered absently, trying hard to think through the increasingly thick mental fog filling his skull. What the hell was going on?

Well, two things were for certain. First, he was not going to try teleporting again. It was dangerous enough to use his shortcuts when he was certain of its reliability in getting him to his destination. Playing with it _now_ , when he’d just gotten dumped miles short of his goal, was pure madness. And secondly, he could hardly imagine dragging himself all the way to the lab in Hotland now, answers or no answers. From where he sat on the dimly lit path – wet, dirty, and miserable – all he wanted was some clean clothes and a nap.

And booze, he amended, trudging slowly back towards Snowdin.

Definitely booze.

 

~~~

 

“HUMAN? HUMAN??” Somewhere above you, Papyrus was becoming frantic. His voice echoed in the cavernous space. You came to yourself enough to call back up to him.

“I’m fine! Come on down here!” you shouted, hoping you didn’t sound as uncomfortable as you felt. The eerie sense of being watched wasn’t going away. Maybe it was just a side effect of the Underground, you thought without conviction.

Papyrus landed lightly beside you, as though he weighed nothing. You stared at him in disbelief, rubbing your head. “How’d you do that?”

Papyrus shrugged. “GRAVITY MAGIC IS EXTREMELY USEFUL SOMETIMES!” he said cheerfully.

“Gravity magic,” you repeated.

“YES, GRAVITY MAGIC! DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD ON THE WAY DOWN, HUMAN?” Papyrus was looking at you with concern now. You carefully ran your fingers over a small bump on your left temple where you had, in fact, hit a rock hiding in the flowerbed you now stood upon. It didn’t seem particularly serious.

“Only a little. I’m fine,” you said. “Do you know how to get to Snowdin from here?”

“ABSOLUTELY!” Papyrus declared, and began to lead the way through the darkness.

You followed carefully. Almost at once, you passed through one ornate doorway, then another. In the low light, you could just make out carvings overhead as you walked through. They looked like runes, though you had little idea what they might mean. “Like the Legend of Zelda,” you mumbled to yourself, smiling faintly.

The feeling of being watched, you discovered unhappily, did not dissipate with time or travel. If anything, it seemed to increase. Once, you’d glanced behind you and caught something moving out of the corner of your eye. The last time that had happened to you, you reflected uneasily, it had been Sans, trying to intimidate you.

You were beginning to feel that you’d give anything for it to be Sans again.

After a few minutes, you and Papyrus walked into a room with smooth stones on the ground, and a switch on the wall beside a closed door. On the opposite side of the door hung an inscription. Papyrus bounded forward with glee. “PUZZLES,” he breathed reverently.

“Puzzles?” you asked, the corners of your mouth lifting at his excitement.

“PUZZLES!” Papyrus confirmed. “HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU, HUMAN,” he continued, inspecting the scene from all angles, “OF MY STATUS AS MASTER OF PUZZLES?” He struck a ridiculous pose as he made this pronouncement, and you fought down the urge to giggle.

“You haven’t,” you told him, as seriously as you could manage. “Why don’t you show me how it’s done?”

“WITH PRIDE!” Papyrus stepped deliberately on four of the stones in sequence, and the door slid open at once. You were genuinely impressed by this, and told him as much. He blushed orange with pleasure at the compliment, and the two of you carried on, but not before you stopped to read the inscription:

* _Only the fearless may proceed._

_*Brave ones, foolish ones._

_*Both walk not the middle road.  
_

…Right. Was the entire Underground like this? You thought of Frisk, and wondered whether they’d solved these puzzles and proceeded alone. They were only a child, after all. You decided to ask Papyrus, who looked surprised.

“NO, FRISK WASN’T ALONE IN THE RUINS! THEY HAD TORIEL TO GUIDE THEM, NATURALLY!”

“And Toriel is…?” you prompted.

“THE FORMER QUEEN OF MONSTERS! SHE CAME TO LIVE HERE AFTER SHE AND KING ASGORE… WELL, THEY WENT THEIR SEPARATE WAYS.”

You sensed a story here, but decided not to pry. “She must really love the color purple,” you commented instead, looking at your surroundings.

“YES INDEED! SHE EVEN WEARS PURPLE MOST OF THE TIME, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT! SHE AND MY BROTHER ARE CLOSE FRIENDS.” His face fell as he said this, and you knew he was thinking about Sans.

“Hey,” you said, touching his shoulder. “I’m sure he’s fine.” Privately you were sure of no such thing, but you weren’t about to tell Paps that.

Papyrus looked conflicted, as though he were trying to decide whether or not to say something. “I HOPE SO!” he said at last.

You opened your mouth to say something else, but you and Papyrus were suddenly overlooking a veritable field of spikes bridging a long body of water. You touched a finger to a spike; it wasn’t especially sharp, but it’d be extremely uncomfortable to walk on, you thought. And there didn’t seem to be an obvious way through or around. “What do you think of this?” you asked Papyrus, who’d already begun examining the obstacle.

“NEVER FEAR, HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL ENSURE WE GET ACROSS WITH A MINIMUM OF STABBING!”

You took a moment to look around you as he worked. The ambient light seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, and you realized that the light had not changed at all since you had entered this part of the Ruins.

“Hey Paps, how do you tell when it’s night-time in the Underground?”

Papyrus shot you a look. “THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE SET-UP TO A BAD JOKE.”

You huffed a laugh. “No, I’m being serious. How do you tell? It’s not like you can see the sun.”

He shrugged. “WE ALWAYS JUST USED OUR WATCHES!”

You glanced at your wristwatch, which told you it was the middle of the evening. You hadn’t realized so much time had passed –

There it was again, the same as before: the flash of movement out of the corner of your eye. You jerked your head towards it, but it was already gone. The uneasiness you’d felt earlier only strengthened in intensity.

You lowered your voice to a whisper. “Papyrus, I think we’re being followed. I keep thinking I see something…"

“NONSENSE! THE UNDERGROUND’S BEEN COMPLETELY EMPTY FOR MONTHS!” Papyrus replied cheerfully. “IN HAPPIER NEWS, I THINK I’VE SOLVED THE PUZZLE! _THESE_ SPIKES FOLD DOWN, BUT _THESE_ DO NOT! PLEASE TAKE MY HAND AND WE SHALL PROCEED!”

The pair of you made your way carefully across the spike bridge, and you tried to shove your misgivings to the back of your mind.

Behind you, in a dark, damp corner of the Ruins, somebody snickered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever to write, for some reason! Hope you enjoy!!


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